As an editor it’s always fun (um and also humiliating) to go back to one of your early projects and analyze what worked and what didn’t work - and then, should the mood strike, try out a re-edit.

That’s actually what I’m doing right now. One of my first projects ever was a promo video for a good friend who is an artist and colour consultant. While I was happy with the video at the time, as I go back through it and do a re-edit, I’m finding it interesting to note how my own style has changed and also how much control the editor really has over the final video.

I’ve decided to completely change my approach to the edit as I want to emphasize the stillness and discipline of the artist in her work rather than the previous version which focused more on her fun and approachable personality and the whimsy of her paintings.

Those are two completely different feelings, but both can be achieved with the same footage. It’s up to the editor to make that happen.

The editor is the unsung hero of videomaking or filmmaking.

During Oscar season you don’t hear about the genius editors who are cutting films into works of movie magic. Unlike directors and even cinematographers, they are the invisible hands that are responsible for tying all the artistry together into one cohesive piece - something that is greater of the sum of its parts.

Why is this important for you to know? Well, because the editor really is the person who seals your video’s fate.

This has positive implications. If you shoot a bunch of footage yourself, and it isn’t particularly professional, an editor can often salvage this (yes, I’ve done that!).

In fact there is a trend now in advertising to take user-generated footage to create fresh-feeling videos that are high impact and feel authentic. Of course without the professional video editing, your backyard jumping-in-the-sprinkler footage probably won’t go very far.

It also has negative implications. If your video producer isn’t a great communicator, you might end up with a video that contains all the images you talked about, but yet doesn’t really create the feeling you were looking for.

This can happen when a producer doesn’t know how to talk to the editor to get what’s necessary. Or if your videographer is doing the editing himself but lacks the emotional and intuitive skill set to really do the footage justice.

The cut really does make or break your video. Editing is a sort of process of elimination. As an editor you often have to take 25 to 30 minutes of footage and turn it into a five minute video or a two minute video.

So you can see that the editor’s choices of what to include and most importantly what NOT to include are, in the end, the deciding factor in whether or not your video works.

Some actionable advice?

Find out who’s editing your video. Take a look at their editing work. Make sure lines of communication are open and clear. And ensure you have the number of reviews you need to ensure your final video comes out looking and feeling the way you want it to.

And of course, make sure your video producer or videomaker has asked you enough questions during the planning process to ensure that they know where you’re coming from and what you’re trying to achieve.

About the Author: Colette Nichol is the Owner & Founder of Story Envelope Media and an endlessly opinionated videomaker. Learn more about her here & send her random messages or videos on Twitter & Facebook.

Read up on the video mumbo jumbo below and you won't feel left out to pasture when your videomaker starts throwing out weird jargon.

A CLIP This refers to a single video file of footage that was shot continuously.

FOOTAGEThis refers to any video that was captured for a particular shoot. Ex: The footage from today looks great. Footage is how you refer to the video that was captured for a specific shoot.

A SHOOTThis is how you refer to the time during which the video was captured - which could be anywhere from an hour to many months. Ex: Today’s shoot at the farm turned out great despite the rain.

HD - HIGH DEFINITIONThis refers to the resolution of your footage or the resolution of your video screen (TV, iPad, Computer). High Definition is currently the standard for video production.

RESOLUTIONThis refers to the number of pixels in the final video or on the viewing screen. A higher resolution video will appear crisper to the eye as long as it was shot in focus. A lower resolution video will appear softer to the eye or even grainy and pixelated.

720pThis refers to footage that was shot with 720 pixels of height and 1280 pixels of width. This is one of the main formats used for online video as it tends to play back smoothly on most internet connections.

1080pThis refers to footage that was shot with 1080 pixels of height and 1920 pixels of width. This is also commonly used online but is still less prevalent than 720p. It should be expected that within about five years or so all professional online video will be delivered in 1080p as internet speeds increase.

FILE SIZEOnline videomakers talk about file sizes a lot because delivering large files is a pain in the butt. The file size refers to how big or small a particular digital file is, usually in MB or GB.

MB - MEGABYTESThis is a measurement of digital information which is the equivalent of 1,000,000 bytes. Most photos coming from your iPhone are 1 to 5 MB. Compare this to a 1 minute video shot in 1080p which can be as much as 50MB or more depending on the file. Think about how long a single photo can take to upload as an email attachment. Now remember that most video footage has 24 to 60 images per second… you can see why video files are much larger.

GB - GIGABYTES This is a measurement of digital information which is the equivalent to 1 billion bytes. A ten minute video shot in 1080p and delivered in a high quality video formate could end up being as much as 5 to 10 GB. This will require delivery on something other than Dropbox as the file sizes are so large. Remember that the average USB flash drive has only 16GB of space.

VIDEO HOSTINGThis is where you upload your video onto the web so it can be viewed. Your video is “hosted” on a platform like YouTube. There are many other video hosting sites as well. Vimeo and Wistia are both video popular video hosting platforms.

A HOSTING PLATFORMA video hosting platform is web-based application where you can upload your videos and then generate a code which you can use to embed the hosted video onto your website.

TO EMBEDTo put an html code directly into the code of a website. This is done in order to have a video which has been hosted on a 3rd party site play on your own site.

TO RENDERThis refers to the “baking process” in video. Essentially once an edit has been created with multiple video clips, music, titles, etc it must be taken out of the editing program so it can stand alone. This happens through the process of rendering all the data into a single functional file. Depending on the project rendering can take anywhere from a few seconds to 24 hours. Since rendering slows down an editors computer and causes significant wear and tear, it is always part of the price. Getting multiple renders of a project incurs a greater expense than just a single render.

VIDEO FORMATThere are many ways one can render a video. If you are going to display a video on a big screen you will need a different video format than if you are going to be uploading your video to YouTube. Even Vimeo and YouTube require different video formats. You want to know your end destination for your video so that your editor can provide you with the correct format for the final video.

PLAYBACKThis refers to the act of a video playing, usually on an online player. The goal for all videomakers is smooth playback. (This is achieved when the video format has been matched to the hosting site or player and when the user has an appropriate internet connection.)

VIDEO PLAYERThis refers to the actual video frame with play buttons and volume buttons within which your video appears on a hosting platform. On YouTube the player is black with a YouTube logo on it. On Vimeo you can customize the colour of you player. You can also customize your player on Wistia.

A CUTThis can refer to a final version of a video or to the act of editing (i.e. cutting away the unnecessary footage in order to create the final video). Ex: This last cut of the video is the best one. or You shouldn’t make the cut right there, you should make the cut a few seconds later.

A REVISIONIt is common for a video to need to undergo a few revisions before it meets both the needs and expectations of the client and the videomaker. You need to negotiate the number of revisions you will get in your video package. Usually for small shoots one is enough. But you might prefer to have two or three. Revisions do not refer to a complete re-cut, they are simply moving a few things here and there, changing titles or music, cutting a few pieces you don’t like or switching them for something else.

AN EDIT This usually refers to a single version of a final video.Ex: I prefer the previous edit to this one. The last edit communicated the message better.

A THUMBNAILThis refers to the image which a viewer sees when browsing through videos on your website or a video host. When you browse through YouTube all the images you see are thumbnail images. (They are about the size of a thumbnail). You need to make sure you have an attractive thumbnail for your video. You can get your videomaker to create a thumbnail for you or hire a graphic designer to do so.

EXTERNAL RECORDERThis is an audio recording device that captures the audio on a shoot but is not a part of the video camera itself. Usually an external recorder is used. Always ask your videomaker how they capture audio and what level of audio recording they can provide you with.

This covers the basic mumbo jumbo of the video-making world and should keep you afloat in your next conversation with a video nerd, editor, producer, or maker.

About the Author: Colette Nichol is the Owner & Founder of Story Envelope Media and an endlessly opinionated videomaker. Learn more about her here & send her random messages or videos on Twitter & Facebook.

Make sure that you spend ample time speaking with all any video producer you're consider working with to make sure you're on the same page in terms of values and style. True collaboration will result in magic.

One of the biggest mistakes business owners make when hiring a video producer (or any other service provider) is hiring somebody who doesn’t “get” them.

Have you ever had a website made and then just thought, “what the hell was that?”

Then when you think back on the process, you realize that your designer just didn’t get you. So of course, how would they be able to translate your vision into a website? Right. It’s an impossible task to create clarity out of misunderstanding.

When you’re in the market for a video producer, you’re not just in the market for someone who is creative and technically proficient and likeable. You’re in the market for someone who will be able to take your vision and bring it to life on the small screen.

That person needs to understand your business, your brand, who you are and what you do, and be able to translate that into a moving picture.

Even if you’re just creating a super short video course or sales video and not a mammoth promo video, having your video producer understand you is vital. A producer who doesn’t get you will not understand why using a certain background is important or how to advise you about hair and wardrobe, or even how to choose music that works for your video.

Video production is a collaborative process, and your video producer needs to be able to understand the ideas that you might be having difficulty expressing and turn them into something tangible. They also need to know how to ask the questions necessary to make that happen.

To the point, here are the top things you need to look for if you want to make sure you hire a video producer who gets you.

When speaking for the first time...

Do they listen to what you’re saying with clear interest and ask intelligent questions with the aim to clarify?

Do they spend at least an hour talking to you in person or over the phone before coming up with a proposal?

Do they ask you about your audience, about your business goals, about what your ideal scenario for this video is?

Do they ask you if you have any favourite videos?

Do they ask you how you want your audience to feel after watching the video?

If none of those things happen on the first meeting, you’re probably not talking to the right person. Maybe the video producer is having a bad day. Or maybe they just don’t care.

But what do you do if you talk to two producers, both of whom ask all the right questions, truly listen to your answers, and come up with a proposal that reflects your goals?

You have two options:

Go over their portfolios with a fine tooth comb and choose the person whose style most consistently aligns with your taste.

Or choose the person who was the most fun to spend time with AND appears reliable. You’re going to be working with this person for a good 10 to 40 hours, so you’ll want to make sure they aren’t a wet towel, but don't choose fine times Al if he doesn't seem like he's going to deliver in a timely manner. (Also of course get a contract with set dates or time periods for deliverables.)

And finally, what if like many people, you’re having difficulty finding somebody in your area? You’ve met with all the local companies, and nothing has clicked.

Start looking beyond your area.

Go to Vimeo and look at small biz videos made within your country.

Go to Twitter and look for people tweeting about video within your country, and then check out their work.

Keep your eyes opened for videos you like from other businesses outside of your industry and email the biz owner to find out who did their video.

You might not realize that most video producers are happy to travel, and if you’re talking about a video that will be important to your business for the next five to ten years, it’s worth taking the extra time and money to find just the right person.

About the Author: Colette Nichol is the Owner & Founder of Story Envelope Media and an endlessly opinionated videomaker. Learn more about her here & send her random messages or videos on Twitter & Facebook.

Low resolution is fine if you're controlling the side of your video player, which you can do on Vimeo & Wistia. 360p doesn't look so hot when used in full screen mode!

You’ve been doing online video for a while now, you have five to ten videos to your name, and you’re comfortable enough with the whole process that you’re ready to up the ante and start producing videos that look closer to what the pros are producing.

It’s not that difficult to improve your videos, but many people never take the time. Since you’re reading this, you must be committed to giving your audience the best possible quality you can.

Nonetheless, we’re going to take baby steps. I’m not going to throw you into the world of crazy high tech audio video production. But I’d like to introduce you to a few simple things and a couple more complex things that will make your videos 100% better.

But before you start, just remember that if that little voice inside of you that doesn’t like learning new things starts to kick and scream, remind it that this is all for a good cause i.e. your business. And if you really really hate technology, well you probably shouldn’t be making online videos!

Right, let’s review how you can start getting videos that look more like the pros:

1.Pay attention to your lighting and get enough light.

Most videos are not shot with enough light, but you don’t realize that because you’re using your iPhone or video camera on automatic.

First off, automatic settings are the devil. Too strong? Sorry, but it's true. If you have the option of manual settings, start learning how to use them!

If you don't that's fine, but keep reading.

Automatic exposure (which is what your iPhone has) means that your camera will increase its sensitivity to light (the sun or your house lights) until it can produce a usable image. But if you didn’t really have enough light in the first place, your image will be muddy and fuzzy and grainy because your camera is basically producing light itself by making the image sensor ridiculously sensitive.

Sure your image will be visible, but it won’t be very good looking.

OPTIONS FOR ENHANCING YOUR LIGHTING ON A BUDGET

a) $50 Add cheap work lights from home depot with a white sheet or curtain hanging down in front of them to soften the light or if the lights aren't super hot you can wrap white fabric or nylons over them to soften the light.

b) FREE Shoot outside in the early morning or late afternoon when the light isn’t crazy harsh. Don't shoot at high noon on a super sunny day unless you're in the shade as the only way to make that work is to learn a bunch of techniques that are not within the scope of this post.

c) FREE to $5 Get way closer to that big window you’ve been using to light all your shots and pump up the volume of the sun with some white foam board which you can use to reflect even more light onto you. This involves some experimentation.

d) FREE to $5 Use your laptop screen set to a neutral screen saver as an extra light. Your computer screen emits a ton of light, if you use a skin-coloured screen saver this can actually work as an additional light source. Especially if you amplify it by adding white foam board into the mix.

2. Choose a great looking background and take the time to groom your set. Organize your backdrop so it pops. Imagine you’re cleaning up for an important visitor. Then get theatrical and think of fun things that you can add that will give visual interest to your “set”.

Add flowers or a glass of water or a stack of books. Groom your set like you would groom your hair (or in my case better since my hair is usually a disaster). Side note: it’s better to have crazy bad hair than a crazy bad set.

3.Pump the tunes, but not so loud that nobody can hear you speaking.

Music, my friends, this is what separates the caterpillars from the butterflies. Music is so important that I want to write this whole paragraph in capital letters. But I won’t, because that’s just passé.

If you don’t believe how important music is try watching a scary scene from a horror movie that would normally freak you out but turn off the sound. Not scary at all.

Music helps to make the experience of watching a video more emotional. It’s not an element to scoff at. Get great music for cheap from Vimeo.com, PremiumBeats.com, or Audioblocks.com

4.Resolution - not new year’s resolutions, but the resolution of your image i.e. the number of pixels in it is what makes or breaks your video. These days the internet can easily handle high definition footage (HD) and standard definition footage (SD) is becoming a thing of the past.

If your camera doesn’t provide HD footage, then make sure you use a hosting site that allows you to prevent your audience from expanding the video frame to full screen (available with Wistia or Vimeo) because if you don’t, they probably will expand it to full screen. And you don’t want low resolution footage being viewed on a big screen. It’s amateur hour of the worst kind.

Also, start looking at purchasing a camera or iPhone that can give you HD footage. Your image will be crisper and cleaner, and your audience will be happy that they no longer feel like they just took their glasses off when viewing your videos. This does not have to break the bank by the way. HD cameras are more common than every now.

SD, or Standard Definition is soon becoming a thing of the past. But if you are using an SD camera, just make sure you use Wistia or Vimeo to host and you remove the full screen option.

4K video is still not that common except for in the film industry. My prediction, by 2030 4k will be extremely common and will make up 25% of new videos being uploaded.

5.Hire out your video editing. Editing can make the difference between a so-so video and an out-of-the-ball-park video. So one easy way to make your videos better is to start hiring a video editor to put your footage together in a clean, modern, and beautiful manner. You can find editors for reasonable rates on Elance or you can hire Story Envelope to do your editing.

6.Upgrade your editing skills or tools. If you are adamant about doing DIY all the way, look into going pro with your editing suite.

What you might not know is that iMovie and other amateur editing programs are actually harder to use than Final Cut or Premiere Pro (both professional tools). Yes, the pro editing suites give you way more options which can seem overwhelming at first, but they are designed to provide an intuitive and flexible experience, and that is what they do.

When I use iMovie (which I just did for the sake of this post...I needed to re-test my theory) I feel like an idiot. Whereas when I use Premier Pro, I feel unstoppable.

You can get free trials of both Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro, so there's really no reason not to test them out and see how much better they are. In the long run, you won't regret it.

So yes, making your videos look more like the pros does take some time and effort and love, but it will pay off. You'll start feeling more confident about what you're doing, happier about sharing your work, and proud of the progress your making with this utterly magical medium!

About the Author: Colette Nichol is the Owner & Founder of Story Envelope Media and an endlessly opinionated videomaker. Learn more about her here & send her random messages or videos on Twitter & Facebook.

People do strange things just because they see others doing it. Let this be a lesson, just because someone good looking does something, doesn't mean you should.

I have to write about this somewhat inane and bizarre topic because it’s been driving me crazy, and it keeps popping up everywhere.

Be warned, this is a bit of a rant. But it's one that could save you time and money. So...probably worth your time.

Let me set the scene for you. You’re creating a long video - say fifteen minutes long - and you want it to look nice and clean and snappy and professional.

You don’t want any of your inevitable line flubs to be in the video or at least not the vast majority of them - a little personality is fine, but that major melt down where your eye twitched for twenty seconds...

So you tell your videomaker that there will need to be some edits to keep everything nice and clean and professional.

They have a brilliant idea.

They will shoot with two cameras. Most excellent!

So they have two cameras at the shoot, one is set up right in front of you. The other is set up at your side.

Your not a video-making expert, so you think nothing of it.

Off to the races you all go. The video shoot goes swimmingly and everybody is most pleased.

Until, of course, the final videos come back.

You watch them. You like them. But something is off.

You’re not sure what it is. And since you come off looking reasonably intelligent, you’re not too worried about it. It could have been worse!

Let me tell you what was wrong with your videos and why you could have saved yourself some money on your video shoot.

You did not need two cameras or two camera operators. And every extra camera you add to a shoot adds money, that you pay, out of your pocket.

Which is fine, if that extra camera is going to give extra value. But what happens when the extra camera doesn’t give you extra value and in fact makes your videos a little bit awkward and not as interesting?

Nothing happens. You’ve just wasted some money - a few hundred dollars. That’s all. It’s not the end of the world. But it is pretty silly.

What am I talking about?

I’m talking about the ridiculous trend towards side shots in the middle of a talking head video!

If you’re a newbie, a talking head video is where someone speaks directly into the camera sharing their ideas and tips about a topic. It’s usually done in a shot that contains just the upper body (thus the phrase “talking head”) but it can be a wide shot with the whole body as well. The point is that the person speaks directly into the camera as though the camera were a single person.

I’ve seem at least ten videos this week alone that had side shots in the middle of a direct address, and every time I see one I cringe about the lost money, and time, and power.

If you don’t know what I’m talking about, let me save you some money- watch the video below where I’ll illustrate what in tarnation I mean.

Now that we're on the same page, let's get into the nitty gritty.

Why is interrupting a talking head video with a side shot so ridiculous and so wasteful?

Every single time you do this you interrupt the viewer.

The key to a talking head video is the fact that you are speaking directly to the audience.

That is actually the only reason talking head videos diserve to exist. Speaking directly to your audience is a beautiful thing. Your audience feels like they are there in the room with you. They feel like they are the only person that matters. It’s like being in a one on one conversation.

The second you switch to a side shot, your audience has just been told that they no longer matter.

They are being told that some random person who is standing next to the speaker matters more then they do.

If you’re not a video fiend and you don’t know much about how framing and camera angles effect the audience, then this might not make much sense to you.

So let me put it like this... Imagine you’re talking to a friend. You’re in her kitchen having a cup of tea and talking about this new technique you learned to get more website traffic.

You’re really enjoying all the material she’s sharing with you.

Suddenly, a man walks into the room picks you up out of your chair and plops you unceremoniously onto a different chair at the end of the table, where you are no longer looking into her eyes. You’re staring at the side of her face. And for some reason she doesn’t turn and look at you. She just keeps talking to the place where you used to be sitting.

You want to go back to where you were or yell at her “Hey, I’m over here now!”

You were enjoying the connection you had with her, seeing her face and looking into her eyes, but you can’t seem to move or speak. For some reason you’re paralyzed, unable to go back to your original seat and you’re tongue won’t work - the words won’t come out.

After 30 seconds the man suddenly picks you up again and moves you back to the original chair.

Yet this is exactly what is happening in countless videos across the land.

Of course in the video world it’s not quite as obvious, but it’s still extremely weird. It’s going against the laws of audience interaction.

If you only have one person in your audience. And you are speaking directly to them. And they are not moving from their seats. And you are not moving from your seat. Then you have to keep the camera angle the same for the entire video. (And yes I know those were all fragment sentence, but this is video treason we're talking about!)

You’re not filming House of Cards! There’s no trampling through multiple sets. It’s just you and your audience and your sofa. Why would you change the camera angle? You wouldn’t. Except that you’re trying to hide the fact that you’re human and occasionally you hem and haw and mess up your lines and say inappropriate things or act like a madman.

But rest assured there is another way to save face when shooting long video interviews or talking heads.

So whatever you do, don’t let an overzealous video maker shoot the side of your head if you’re doing a talking head video. There is no good reason to do such a thing. That being said, don’t be mad at your video maker if they’ve already done that.

It’s gotten so common these days, I can see why many a desperate video maker would do this.

But instead of the crazed side shot, I suggest one of the five perfectly good solutions below.

SOLUTIONS

1. Shoot in very high resolution and crop in and out with every cut. This means your final video will need to be delivered at half the original resolution and thus is only possible with certain camera set ups. Not my preference but it can work.

2. Use a two camera set up where one camera is in a close up and the other is in a medium shot.

3. Utilize jump cuts. This is where you simply cut from one take to the next without any concern for continuity. It seems crazy, but we're so used to seeing this technique that it doesn't really bother the human eye at all. That being said, it's best for videos that don't take themselves too seriously.

4. Utilize swishy transitions - WIPE, PUSH, SLIDE etcetera. (Add a sound effect to go with the transitions to make it look even more intentional)

5. Utilize titles at each cut. Non video people refer to these as slides, but if you want your editor to think you're super smart call them titles.

6. Use stratigically placed video footage (referred to as B-roll) or photos that bring to life the message you’re sharing.

7. And finally, use a variety of the above options.

Badaboombadabing, you just nailed a long form video and your audience has no idea that an embarrassing ramble got left on the cutting room floor. Well done!

About the Author: Colette Nichol is the Owner & Founder of Story Envelope Media and an endlessly opinionated videomaker. Learn more about her here & send her random messages on Twitter & Facebook.

Don't make this another 12 lbs on your to-do list! But if it's something you've been toying with already, here's your motivation.

While this is most applicable if you already have a great Facebook community and it helps too if video is something you're already doing, even in a microcosmic way, you will still get results if you have practically no followers - such is the power of Facebook's 2015 algorithm.

Getting stuck on the question of what will fail and what will succeed is a great way to end up doing nothing.

Wouldn’t you love a crystal ball that you could look into every time you had a new idea?

Or a private seer that would tell you when you’re on the road to failure or success?

Imagine if you could take your to-do list and feed it into a machine that would tell you which items would actually have a positive impact on your life and which would be negligible.

That’s something I’m sure most creatives have wished for at some point.

You’re embarking on a new project or even just starting a blog post or planning a video, and you want to know if it will be a success, if it will be worth your time, if it will reach your audience or not.

Just like you can’t avoid stubbing your toe for the rest of your life - and to even make that a goal would be crazy - likewise you can’t avoid creative failures.

No matter how hard you try. No matter how much you test your ideas or how much you obssess about your demographics. There will always be surprises. And thank god for that!

Part of the process of creation is knowing that most of the time it won’t really work out.

Your end creation will almost never be exactly as you had hoped or intended. Sometimes it will be better, sometimes worse.

Sometimes it won’t reach the audience you were aiming for, or any audience at all.

Some people will love the hell out of it, but many others will be indifferent or deeply critical.

The point with creation isn’t to try and psychically figure out what people will want - or even to listen to what your audience is clamoring for every single time, but rather to make the things that reflect what you believe to be true and of service.

As long as your work reflects what you believe to be true at the time, you have, on a personal level, been successful.

Every creator, from the most famous to the least has had a long string of failures. And the longer they’ve been at the game of creation, the more failures they have wracked up.

Just check out your favourite actor or director’s IMDB profile the next time you’re feeling insecure.

Steven Spielberg might be one of the most famous and financially successful directors in the history of film, but like most people he’s had some duds.

The weird thing about some failures, is that while they might not have been as popular as other creations, there will still be fanatics.

Absolutely everything we do creates ripples outward from ourselves.

So even if one person sees your video or blog post or painting and is deeply moved, you’ve had an impact.

A life of creation is not built on one big success, it is built on a myriad of tiny actions which come from a set of beliefs by which you live.

So rather than asking yourself if your next project or video series or article is going to be a wild success, why not asking yourself if it’s something you truly believe in.

About the Author: Colette Nichol is the Founder of Story Envelope Media and an endlessly opinionated videomaker. Learn more about her here & send her random messages on Twitter & Facebook.

What makes the difference between an enjoyable experience and a weird kind of okay experience?

Yes, yes, it’s the content. Of course.

If the star of the video is a major bore, you’re going to fall asleep no matter how great the video quality is. If the content covered in the video is utterly useless you’ll click away in two seconds.

But aside from content itself, what sets one video apart from another in terms of YOUR EXPERIENCE as the viewer?

Okay, fine, I won’t leave you hanging.

It’s the audio, first and foremost, that separates the stars from the day players.

And then it’s a toss up between the quality of the footage and the editing - including music and cutting skills.

This post is just about the first and foremost thing. The audio.

I just started watching a video made by a very smart woman who shares very smart tips for very smart business owners. The content of the video was probably useful, but I stopped watching after about 15 seconds because I got annoyed by two things.

1. She had spent money on things that didn’t matter.2. She hadn’t spent money on the thing that matters the most.

Her audio sounded like it had been kidnapped by aliens, taken on a trip to Mars, warped in a black hole, and then returned to be edited into her video.

I’m exaggerating a tad, but the audio wasn’t good. It had significant sonicartifacts and if I’d put on headphones to listen to it, my ears would have been most displeased.

TECHNICAL ASIDE: Sonic artifacts happen when you try to clean up audio that has a low signal to noise ratio i.e. the sounds you WANT are not that much louder than the sounds you don't want. You’ve probably heard audio that has a fuzzy hissing sound to it. If you listen to it with headphones on, it’s intolerable. With audio editing software you can remove some of that noise, but often you’re left with some nasty artifacts that sound like...well what I just described....

Just humour me and get those earbuds out and put them on and have a good old fashioned listen to this demonstration in audio quality, artifacts and the power and beauty of external microphones.

The reason I felt the overwhelming need to write about this is because the rest of the video was completely professional.

She had a professional white backdrop, the lighting was just fine - no weird shadows - and she had a fancy pants animated logo with all sorts of shiny bits and pieces to it.

This means she’s not messing around. She’s actually spent some cash on getting this made. So why does her audio sound like it took a trip to Mars?

Because most people (including video folk) don’t understand what makes or breaks a viewer’s experience when it comes to online video.

Bad audio breaks the user experience. Period.

TIP OF THE YEAR: For the love of Joseph, do not spend any money on a fancy animated logo, on spectacular lighting, on gorgeous editing, if your audio is going to be lacklustre. Make sure your audio will sound acceptable if someone is wearing headphones while listening to it and then start dolling up the rest of the video.

There. I just saved you money. You can thank me by never producing a video with bad audio ever again.

A final note if you're one of those intrepid video makers out in DIY video land making videos on your iPhones, don’t worry, your audio doesn’t suck! It’s not awesome audio. Don’t be fooled. And you will eventually need to upgrade. But iPhone audio is surprisingly acceptable.

Yes, there may be truck loads of online videos, but none of them feature you.

Image by Colette Nichol, Story Envelope Media

One reason many people give up on doing an online video series before they’ve even started is that they think “everyone is doing it” and that there’s no room for them.

You have a vision for a beautiful video series you’d like to create. It will be soulful. Fun. Useful.

It will serve a community of people who need and want what you have to offer. And at the same time it will bring people back to your website where many will become customers.

You go on to YouTube and see what other people are doing. You type your topic into the search bar and start watching a few videos.

They all look great. They’re colourful. Well made. The hosts are all cute, and fun, and smart....

And so you start to think that maybe you shouldn’t bother.

Maybe creating a video series isn’t the best use of your time. Maybe all your “competitors” have got the market cornered. Maybe you should just forget about that tiny voice inside that is quietly but relentlessly pulling you towards online video.

What you’ve forgotten is that YOU have a unique voice.

If you’re really being true to yourself with your video creations, and not copying others, then there is no way anybody will have a video series anything like yours.

We start falling off our true path when we start comparing ourselves to others rather than focusing on how we can be of service.

Right now I’m in the midst of creating a web series that will help soul-based businesses and entrepreneurs to create technically beautiful online videos that forge deeper connections with their current and potential customers, grow their business, share their talents and wisdom, and be of service.

I’m by far, not the first person to come up with the idea of making online videos that teach business owners how to create their own online videos. In fact there are quite a few channels on YouTube that do just that.

But I know that none of the channels speak to the community of soulful caring business owners in the same way that I will.

And I believe that there’s a reason this damn IDEA of mine won’t disappear.

I’m not going to lie to you, I feel very reluctant and resistant. There’s a part of me that’s screaming “Hell Yeah!” when I think about making this web series - that’s the part of me that has come up with over 50 episode ideas in 48 hours!

And there’s another part of me that wants to groan and roll over and not put myself out there and not share my knowledge and just go back to bed already.

One of the main blocks you’re probably having when you think about tackling online video is where to start.

What kind of video should you create? Do you need one video or a whole series of videos? Should you do talking-head videos or video interviews or a how-to video series or an elaborate video that shows off your business?

Aaaaaaah!!! Too many options.

Thus you do nothing. I get it!

When I have too many options I tend to choose...none of them. It’s too overwhelming. And if I don’t really know the difference between Option #1 and Option #12, then am I really qualified to be making a choice anyway?

Just another reason, I do barely any social media…and yes, I know I should, and yes I will figure it out eventually…maybe.

Okay, let’s get down to it.

I’m going to break down the top videos options for you in a way that is clear and calm, so you can more easily and effectively choose where to start when planning your soulful video strategy.

VIDEO WORK IS SOUL WORK...really

Have you ever lain in bed at night thinking about the world you wished you lived in and wondering why the world we actually live in is so full of madness? Have you ever felt helpless as you sit reading the newspaper or listening to the morning news?

That’s why I create online videos. Because I know what it’s like to feel helpless, to desire change, and to feel stuck doing nothing.

When one day I was faced with the sheer untapped power of online video, I knew this was something I had to learn more about ASAP.

If you’re going to stop reading now, let me make one point: the only reason to create an online video is if you want to share your truth and inspire others to do the same.

No matter how badly you suck at memorizing, there's always a way (or ten) in.

Most online videos made with non-actors shine when there is no script, since non-actors tend to do best when speaking off the cuff.

But sometimes you need a script and you need to memorize. Maybe you want to do a direct address sales video. Or you want to create an online course with certain pieces that need to be exact. Or you just want to do something creative and fun that requires a script.

You know that whole stretch beyond your comfort zone thing that self-improvement and career books like to talk about?

Well, when it comes to creating micro films for your business, it's not necessarily the best idea. Sure feeling a bit awkward or scared or nervous is normal. But deeply uncomfortable and out of your depth? No!

A couple of weeks ago I was on a google rampage which took me to the website of a pair of social media "gurus". They had a heading which said "VIDEOS", so naturally I wanted to see what they are up to. (For me the word video is like catnip to a Siamese.)

Under videos they had a ton of content. Too many videos to count. All of them talking-head videos where the presenter speaks directly into the camera lens.

The one question you must definitely ask yourself before making a video.

How do you want the viewer to FEEL during and after watching your micro film?

This sounds like a Danielle LaPorte Firestarter question, but I was actually asking this question long before I read the Firestarter Sessions. (Side note: If you don't know about this book, I highly recommend it.)

Why is this question so important?

Because it's the only question.

Yes, I ask a ton of other questions to clients in order to get an accurate picture of who they are and what they do, but the spine of the video becomes how they want their viewers to feel. That decision affects the wardrobe, the colours, the music, the order, the titles, the transitions, the lighting, the music, the editing style, the everything.

Wanting your viewers to feel warm and fuzzy is different from wanting your viewers to feel invigorated and inspired. Wanting your viewers to feel electric is different from wanting your viewers to feel sensual. Each of those choices will affect every single aspect of your video, so make sure you know the answer to that question before you hire a videomaker.

Colour communicates. So it's just as important to choose the right colour for your clothing as it is to choose the right style.

Not sure what to wear for your video shoot? You're not alone. This is actually one of the pre-production areas that most people find themselves feeling unsure about. There's something about knowing your clothing choices are going to be embedded in moving picture format that makes people a little nervous.

But don't worry. It's not that complicated.

Here are the general rules of thumb for choosing clothing for a video shoot.

GET TO THE POINT

This blog is also entitled "Get To The Point M******F***er". But I thought that would be a little too brash for a headline, so I saved it for my opener. I've been watching a lot of action movies with my husband lately, so you can thank him and Samual L. Jackson for any over the top aggressiveness that may happen on this post.

Here we go... I just started watching a video for what looks like an adorable small business. I didn't finish watching the video because it took them 14 seconds to finish their introduction, by which point I was already over it. And by introduction I don't mean their CEO telling us what's up. I mean their logo slowly hovering in and out of focus while some banjo music plays in the background and then a loooong fade in on the CEO.

Above all else preparation is what will make the difference on the day of your video shoot.

A great video doesn't happen by accident, and being prepared will sure help you achieve your video goals. I'm in a list writing mood so here's a list of the top 9 things to do to prepare for your video shoot.

If there's one thing we can learn from ultra famous musicians, it's this: if you want fans, you need to put your face out there. And this applies to everyone. Not just triple platinum artists. If you run a business, if you're an indie band, if you are the head of an organization, if you're a local designer, you need to put your face on it.

Think of the most popular musicians, artists, or bands of our time. What do they look like? What's their schtick?

Most people can name of a list of top artists and what they are all about.

GOOD STUFF HERE:

Smart and Soulful Video Tips

This isn't the make-a-viral-video yesterday newsletter. This is the create-an-honest-video-that-tells-a-story newsletter. Yes, you want to sell more. But no you're not trying to take over the world.

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Welcome to the Story Envelope Blog. The goal here is to give you the info you need to navigate the online video waters & either hire a videomaker or start creating high quality DIY videos that work. Happy reading!